LONDON: Former prime minister and opposition Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz’s supreme leader Nawaz Sharif on Friday met a Swiss cardiac specialist to consult him on treatment options, family sources said.

Dr Ulrich Sigwart is an award-winning cardiologist known for his role in pioneering vascular stents and their clinical use. Dr Sigwart has been consulted by the Sharif family for several years, as he was also the cardiologist of Mian Sharif (Nawaz’s father).

Speaking to reporters in London, Shahbaz Sharif said that the doctor had assessed Nawaz and would suggest a way forward, adding that his brother had experienced seven heart interventions. “Some tests have been conducted and others will take place in the days to come,” he said.

When asked how Nawaz was feeling, Shahbaz said his treatment was ongoing and that prayers were needed for his recovery. The sources added that Nawaz continued to feel lethargic.

Last month, Principal of the Services Institute of Medical Science Prof Dr Mahmood Ayaz had said that Nawaz had experienced angina pain during treatment, a development confirmed by Punjab Health Minister Dr Yasmeen Rashid.

The 69-year-old former prime minister is in London undergoing treatment for various medical issues, including heart disease and an immune system disorder which causes a sharp drop in platelets.

Nawaz is staying at Avenfield apartments in Park Lane and is joined by his sons, Hassan and Hussain Nawaz, daughter Asma Nawaz, and brother Shahbaz.

On Wednesday, he was taken to Guys’ Hospital for a series of scans and tests, results for which have not yet been determined.

Published in Dawn, November 23rd, 2019